


Not a Stranger

by fruitastic



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, M/M, kaishin winter exchange, only the fluffiest of fluff for zeechan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 15:57:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fruitastic/pseuds/fruitastic
Summary: They met in the middle of the women’s shoes aisle. Indigo eyes met a small cowlick and they were immediately intrigued.“Hey!”The cowlick didn’t move.“Heeeeey!”The cowlick finally moved and indigo met a stunning blue.My KaiShin Winter Exchange gift for Zeechan04 on tumblr.  Hope you enjoy it Zee!





	Not a Stranger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zeechan04](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeechan04/gifts).



> Written for the KaiShin Winter Exchange that was hosted on tumblr. I...actually had this done back in November so it was really hard to not post it until now ^^; 
> 
> There was also the fact that Zee is on the KaiShin discord where I frequent so huehuehue.
> 
> The prompt for the fic was "Have we met somewhere before?" and "Childhood Friends"
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys it!

They met in the middle of the women’s shoes aisle. Indigo eyes met a small cowlick and they were immediately intrigued.

“Hey!”

The cowlick didn’t move.

“Heeeeey!”

The cowlick finally moved and indigo met a stunning blue.

“What?” The owner of the cowlick and blue eyes frowned, “You’re bothering me.”

Oops. “Sorry,” the child pulled a small violet rose from his pocket and presented it to the other, “here’s a token of my apology.”

The blue eyes blinked and he took the small rose. He sniffed it before putting it into his pocket. “Thanks...I guess.” He looked slightly embarrassed, as if he didn’t expect such a gift.

“You’re welcome! Now let’s start off fresh. My name’s Kuroba Kaito! 8 years old magician extraordinaire!” Kaito held out his hand just as he’d seen his parents do whenever they met with guests.

The other boy accepted the hand and shook it firmly, “I’m not supposed to talk with strangers.”

“O-oh,” Kaito pouted before his mouth formed a smirk, “Fine then. By the end of this, we won’t be strangers.”

“ _This_?” The question wasn’t answered as Kaito tugged on the other boy’s hand and began to drag him out of the aisle. “H-hey! Where are we going?!”

“Shopping! What else do you do at department stores?”

“Sit and wait for mom to be done,” mumbled the boy. Kaito chuckled before tightening his grasp on his new friend. It was time for an adventure!

* * *

They weaved their way through the vast crowd of shoppers and reached an aisle of winter accessories. Kaito looked around while the other boy caught his breath.

“W-Where are we?” The boy hugged and crossed his arms, “We better not be lost.”

“Don’t worry, this is where we wanted to be.” Kaito gestured to the tables full of clothing, “Look at all the goodies!” He tiptoed and grabbed a beanie. The boy looked unamused.

“A...hat. Cool.” They looked to the side, making Kaito annoyed.

“I have to pick the warmest stuff to wear. Father promised to take me to his next show in Hokkaido!” The northern region was known for its harsh winters. Kaito wanted to be bundled as much as possible.

“Hmmm.” The boy looked at the rest of the stuff on the table and pulled on something. It fell off the table and landed in his hands. “Here,” he handed it to Kaito, “Mom always wears these and they’re warm.”

Kaito took it and rubbed the fabric in his hands. It was plaid blue woolen scarf and slightly rough to the touch.

“Is this a towel or something?” Kaito unwrapped it and the scarf touched the ground, “Wow it’s really long!”

“No you dummy!” The boy took the scarf back and stood behind Kaito, “This is how you wear it.” He wrapped the length of the scarf around Kaito’s neck and made sure the lengths of the scarf weren't touching the ground. He then gently guided Kaito to a mirror. “There. That's the way it's supposed to be.”

Kaito gazed at the scarf and touched the tassels at the ends. He felt his neck warming up and smiled, “Yeah this is perfect! Thanks.”

The boy looked smug, “I can’t believe you didn’t know what a scarf was.” He snickered to himself and Kaito snorted.

“Mom doesn’t have any! Stop laughing at me!”

“Okay okay. Now what else do you need for your Hokkaido trip?”

Kaito’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the rest of the winter clothing that was for sale. A beanie, a scarf, and what else… “Ummm.”

“Mittens?” Kaito’s reluctant companion asked as they walked down the aisle for the third time. “Maybe earmuffs?”

“Earmuffs are annoying. And mom said she bought me mittens already.”

“I guess you’re good then.” The boy looked at Kaito, looking snug wearing the scarf he had chosen, “Want to head back?”

“Okaaaay. Um, do you know the way back?”

The boy’s face blanched and a feeling of worry began to settle in him, “I-I thought you did!”

“D-Don’t worry, I think if we retrace our steps, we’ll be able to find our moms!”

The look of disbelief on his friend’s face didn’t sway Kaito in the least. Kaito took him by the hand and started wandering around the store for anything familiar.  A few people gave them strange looks and others cooed at their cuteness.

Eventually they made their way to the spot where Kaito first found his friend. They looked at the aisles and saw it was deserted.

“Uh, is your mom supposed to be here?” Kaito asked as he stepped over a pair of high heels. The other boy was looking around, slightly worried.

“L-Last time I saw her, she was trying on some boots. Then she told me to just sit down on the stool you found me on.”

“Oh.” Kaito bit his lip, “Well don’t worry, I promise we’ll find your mom!”

As soon as Kaito finished his sentence, they heard an ear splitting cry from a distance.

“I demand that your entire security staff searches for my Shin-chan this instant!”

Blue eyes widened, “Mom!”

Kaito tilted his head, “Mom? Was...that your mom?”

The boy nodded, “I know my mom’s dramatic actress voice anywhere.” He took Kaito’s hand, “Let’s go!”

It was now the boy’s turn to drag Kaito around the store. He was led to the source of the loud crying: a woman with honey blond hair crying at a poor store clerk. The boy pulled at the woman’s skirt. The woman immediately turned around and gasped.

“Shin-chan!” She picked up Kaito’s friend and spun him around in a hug, “I’m so glad you’re safe. Mommy was so scared!!”

“Moooom,” Shin-chan (? Kaito didn't want to assume anything yet)groaned, “You’re embarrassing me.”

She put her son down and saw the small companion alongside him, “And who’s your little friend?”

Rolling his eyes, Shin-chan crossed his arms, “He’s still a stranger mom—“

Kaito was surprised that his new friend had _her_ for a mom. Kaito pulled a yellow carnation from his pocket, “For you Yukiko-san!”

“Eh? Kaito-kun?!” Yukiko patted Kaito on the head, “I didn’t recognize you with the beanie on. Were you the one who kidnapped my Shin-chan?” The underlying tone of anger made Kaito gulp and take a step back. ‘Shin-chan’ saw this and stood in front of Kaito protectively.

“He didn’t kidnap me. We were...shopping.”

Yukiko’s eyes lit up, “Awww! Is my baby into fashion now? Luckily, I picked up a few outfits for you too.”

“Moooom!”

Yukiko returned her attention to Kaito, “So are you here with your mom or dad Kaito? Where are they?”

Kaito felt cold sweat running down his back as Yukiko stared him down. “I left my mom in the boring clothes aisle. I, uh...don’t know where she is!” He let out a weak laugh and Yukiko simply smiled.

“Alright then. Let’s go find Chikage. I’m sure she’s worried about you.” The two boys followed Yukiko around the store and together they searched for Chikage.

After catching Yukiko being distracted by dinner dresses, they finally found Chikage at a customer service counter. She was somber as she explained to the clerk that her son was missing.

“He’s about three feet tall, brown hair, very mischievous…” Chikage’s eyes caught sight of Yukiko and the boys at her side, “And absolutely grounded.” She stomped over and Kaito felt as if he was shrinking as Chikage glared down at her son.

“H-Hey mom…”

“I told you to stay within sight Kaito.” Chikage frowned, “I’m telling your father about this.”

“No!”

“Y _es._ ” The finality in her words made Kaito shudder in fear.

Yukiko chuckled, “Maybe you’re being too harsh on him Chikage. They were just exploring around the store.”

“They?” Chikage looked at the small bundle behind Yukiko’s leg, “Ah, you must be Shin-chan, correct?”

The small boy nodded with a frown.

Chikage patted him on the head, “I’m sorry Kaito dragged you into trouble.”

Kaito looked offended as he cried out, “Hey! Why are you blaming me?”

Chikage sent a cold glare at her son, immediately silencing him.

Yukiko giggled, “Okay Shin-chan, say goodbye to Kaito. We have other errands to do before dinner.”

Kaito felt his heart sink. He didn’t want his new friend to leave! It was too soon! The other boy didn’t look pleased either as he slowly made his way to Kaito. He stopped just in front of Kaito, biting his lip as he tried to find the right words.

Kaito decided to go first, “It was nice meeting you. Thanks for helping me find a scarf.” It was still snugly wrapped around his neck, keeping him warm the entire time.

The boy blushed before mumbling “My name’s Shinichi.”

“Eh?” Kaito felt his cheeks warming. Was this…?

Shinichi felt his face getting redder. “My name is Kudo Shinichi. You’re not a stranger anymore.”

Kaito’s mouth formed an uncontrollable grin, “Shinichi?! Shinichi!”

Hearing his name from the other’s lips caused Shinichi to bury his face in his hands. The two mothers were cooing over the cuteness.

Kaito was ecstatic to finally learn his new friend’s name. “Shinichi! Promise to be my friend forever?”

“I have to promise?” Shinichi asked bewildered.

“Mmhmm!” Kaito held out his pinky finger. Shinichi stared at it for a second before reaching out with his own finger.

“Alright, promise.” They linked fingers and gave it a gentle shake before releasing it. The two boys were fondly smiling at each other.

Before Shinichi left, he gave Kaito a tight hug, “See you next time magician extraordinaire.” He waved and him and his mother took off, leaving Chikage and Kaito to themselves.

“Mom, can we visit them one day?”

Chikage grinned, “Of course. After your punishment has been lifted.”

“Nooo!” Kaito forgot about that during his farewells with Shinichi. He waved his arms angrily at his mother and felt the scarf brush against his hands. “Oh! Mom! Can you buy this for me? Please?!”

Chikage checked the price tag and whistled, “Kaito, this is a bit pricey. I’m sure we can find something cheaper if we look around.”

Kaito pouted, “But Shin-chan picked this out for me!”

“Ah, he has expensive tastes like his mother.” Chikage let out a sigh, “Fine then. But you better get along with Aoko-chan the next time you two have a playdate.”

“Promise!” Kaito hugged his mom’s leg, “Thanks mom!”

* * *

_10 years later_

No one knew why Kaito Kid would hold a heist during the coldest day winter out of all the day. The entire Task Force was shivering in their uniforms. Everyone was freezing…

“Ahah! Too slow Nakamori-keibu!”

Except Kaitou Kid.

The phantom thief didn’t seem to be even slightly affected by the frosty weather. He was even wearing the usual white suit. There was a slight addition: a blue plaid scarf that matched the blue ribbon on his top hat. It seemed slightly worn.

Kid raced through the hallways evading the Task Force members that were hiding in every corner. There was nothing a bit of sleeping gas and some extra strength glue couldn’t fix. Kid climbed up three flights of stairs to finally reach the door of the roof and quickly went through it and—ACK!

He was choking! Kid looked back and saw that his scarf was caught in the door. The pressure around his neck was unbearable.

“Damn it!” He didn’t even notice that some parts of the scarf unraveled during the chase. Kid knew he should’ve secured it better. He stepped backwards and opened to door.

A hand beat him to his scarf. Kid looked up to see an unamused detective looking at him with a deadpan stare.

“Even after all these years you still can’t tie it right.”

“Huh? Meitantei?” Kid pulled on his scarf, “I know you’re trying to capture me right now, but can you please release my scarf? It’s very precious to me.”

“Precious?” The detective blushed and reluctantly released the scarf. Kid quickly checked it for any rips and sighed in relief when he couldn’t find any. The detective observed this and smirked, “I thought we weren’t strangers anymore  _Kaito._ ”

Kaito kept his cool. Meitantei couldn’t possibly know his real name, “Ahah Meitantei, don’t you mean Kaito Kid? Don’t tell me you have a lapse in your memory.”

“A lapse in _my_ memory?” The detective let out a snort as he walked closer to the phantom thief, “We’re friends remember?” The detective moved forward and stopped about an inch from Kaito’s reddening face, “You can call me Shinichi.”

“Shinichi.” The name felt familiar on Kaito’s tongue. It brought back memories of a blue eyed boy with a cute cowlick. Memories of wandering around a crowded department store looking for clothes for his father’s last performance. Memories of a boy tying a scarf around his neck. The very same scarf Kaito was wearing around his neck. “S-Shinichi?!”

“Kaito.” Shinichi said firmly. He held out a pinky finger, “We promised, remember?”

Kaito blinked. And blinked again. Then he remembered where he was and immediately jumped back, leaving Shinichi confused.

“Apologies Meitantei, but I don’t have a clue as to what you’re talking about.” The phantom thief reached the ledge of the rooftop and opened his hanglider. He tossed the heist gem to Shinichi and saluted, “I hope you don’t mind returning that to the museum for me. I have a busy night ahead of me.”

Shinichi dashed as quick as he could before Kid jumped off the building, “Kaito WAIT!”

Kid soared through the sky, leaving Shinichi alone on the rooftop. The detective grimaced. This wasn’t how the evening was supposed to end. Shinichi let out a small sigh and pocketed the gem. He just wanted to catch up with the old friend now turned thief. Perhaps Shinichi would buy some ice cream before returning home. Alone.

* * *

 After saying goodnight to the Task Force, Shinichi braved the crowd outside the museum. There were still some eager fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Kid, even if the heist was long over. Shinichi rolled his eyes. Stupid crazed fans.

The minute Shinichi saw the blue scarf around Kaitou Kid’s neck, he knew he had to talk with the phantom thief. It wasn’t just a coincidence that the young boy in his memories and the thief had the exact same scarf. Shinichi just wished they had the opportunity to sit down and talk—

“Ow!” Shinichi rubbed his nose. He...wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings again. That’s what he deserved for not paying attention to his surroundings.

“Oh! I’m sorry.” A familiar voice called out. Shinichi eyes widened in shock and he looked up to see a teen with concerned indigo eyes looking back at him. The teen was shuffling nervously as he stared at Shinichi. The detective realized he was waiting for a response.

“No. It was my fault. I was distracted by something.” Shinichi’s eyes landed on the scarf, “That scarf is very familiar. It looks like the one Kaitou—”

“Yeah, I received this when I was really young! My friend Shinichi picked it out for me and I’ve loved it ever since!”

Shinichi’s eyes softened, “Funnily enough, my name is Shinichi. Is your name Kuroba Kaito? I recall selecting that same colored scarf for someone with that name.”

The boy with the scarf vigorously nodded, “Yes! I can’t believe it’s really you Shinichi! What are the odds that we’d ever meet again?!”

“A promise is a promise.” Shinichi noticed that the crowd was beginning to disperse and noticed a small cafe nearby, “Would you...like to grab a coffee? Oh wait—you must be tired. I don’t want to keep you from sleeping.” Wow Shinichi, it’s evening. Who even drinks coffee in the evenings?

Kaito shook his head and smiled, “N-No! It’s not a problem! I uh...love coffee. Let’s go!” Kaito took Shinichi by the wrist and started to drag the detective towards the coffee shop. Shinichi smiled to himself as he let himself he pulled along. This was quite the familiar feeling.

“You have a lot of explaining to do Kaito."

**Author's Note:**

> A big inspiration for this fic comes from https://twitter.com/tkns_hyk/status/1076907138574761984?s=21 go and check it out!
> 
> Thank you to dcmkkaishinexchange on tumblr for hosting this event!


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